Jamie Z
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Posts posted by Jamie Z
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Propers,
I can confirm that the custom symbols work on the Quest 2. Very cool.
I was able to follow your instructions almost to the letter. Only two differences.
For step 8, select all, I had to choose "Waypoint Symbols" from a dropdown. There was another option called "Splash Screen."
Also, I couldn't "Select All." When I did that, the upload didn't work. The Quest 2 shows something like 52 places for custom waypoints, and I guess it got confused that I selected all 52, but was only uploading 24. So, when I selected only waypoints 0-23, the upload worked perfectly. Thank you.
I altered GSAK as suggested, uploaded some caches near my home, and they all popped up on my screen, just as they should. One question/suggestion: Any way to make a custom symbol for micro caches? Although not a different type, I'd like to show different symbols for traditional micros and traditional regular caches. Also, I note that the custom waypoints include one for DNFs, but there doesn't seem to be a way to have GSAK assign a separate waypoint for caches which you have DNFed, which is different from caches I simply haven't yet found (meaning I haven't even looked for them yet).
Once again, thanks for the work in putting the instructions together.
Jamie
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I've noticed the same thing.
All my caches have a laminated, customized stash note which I usually physically attach to the container, either in the lid, or on the outside of the container.
Back in the olden days, I used to mention in my log if I noticed a cache didn't have a stash note. Nowadays, that's so often the case that I don't even bring it up any more.
I think when there were fewer caches, more attention was paid to each one. Cache cameras used to be a big deal. In '02, during a big cache run I made, fully HALF the 35 caches I found had cameras. Now it's about one in 20.
Additionally, people emulate what they see, so the trend is somewhat self-sustaining. The more caches that are out there which don't have the stash note, the more people will tend to hide similar caches.
Perhaps an education push on the local level would get more people to use the stash note.
Jamie
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The difference is the suction cup. The "locking" suction cup is smaller. It sticks to the window by means of a little "lock" which increases the suction. The 4" suction cup is just a regular old, really big suction cup.
I've got the 4" cup. Works great. I'm sure the other model works great, too. RAM products are pretty good no matter what you get.
Jamie
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You could also find the distance between all the points (What's the shape of the area?) and figure it out geometrically.
Presumably, a double integral will do this too, if you know the functions which represent the shape of the area.
Jamie
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I am not sure. I'd like to put together a compatibility list, so if you'd like to try it and let me know, that would be great. I think it works on all the 60's, the 76's and someone said it worked on their Legend C.
Ok, I'm planning to try it. I did get the custom symbols to work with Custom POIs a while back, but then I never played with it anymore. Your instructions make custom symbols available to any POIs on the GPS, correct? Not just waypoints uploaded with POI Loader...
Anyway, I'll go through your instructions with my Quest 2 and try to get back to you as to whether I can get it to work or not. Thanks for the up front legwork.
Jamie
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Looks like a great write-up.
Any idea if this will work with the Quest 2 GPS? The Quest currently has the treasure chest open and closed icons (although it lacks the geocaching mode), and I'd like to have real geocaching icons.
Jamie
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Although certainly not the oldest, it's one of the oldest, I adopted a micro which was placed on March 5, 2001. It's been through.. .um, three... maybe four containers.
Also, in a town near me which is now literally littered with micros
, I remember finding two caches there a long time ago called Micro #1 and Micro #2. They're now both long gone. Jamie
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I just got a new PC and can't find this install disk.
Yay! Best day of your life. The Magellan Geocache Manager is not widely liked. I see you're a premium member. If you're not using GSAK along with your Pocket Queries, you're missing a lot. True, Geocache Manager will get the caches on your GPS, but after the first time I used it, I never loaded it again. I'm not even sure I have my disk any more. If I do, you can have it.
Really. Use GSAK. It's so much better.
Jamie
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I never counted exactly, but in 2004 I had a streak of about 60 finds over the course of several months where I found caches with nothing but my bicycle. Home to cache on bike. I don't count carrying a bicycle to a trail in my car. And I covered something like eight different states during the streak.
Jamie
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I gotta be honest and say that when I read your idea as you wrote it... I don't like it. Not at all. I think it's really silly to make an icon for an icon's sake. Just as I think it's silly to place a cache just for the sake of placing a cache. Your idea seems to promote both. Also, you seemed to forget that geocaching is a worldwide game.
However, I'm not a total pessimist. You've sparked a spin-off idea in my head that may achieve kind of what you're looking for.
A small number of existing caches could be selected each year as the best-of-the-best. Although I think collecting icons is really silly, perhaps these best-of-the-best caches could be given a special icon during their reign, and folks who find those special caches would get the icon.
This would encourage people to hide good caches, recognize them for it, and give a finders a good goal of finding great caches. I think there is a disappointing lack of good-cache promotion on this site, and it shows.
Who would selet which caches are the best of the best? Not sure... Groundspeak itself? Maybe a committee selected or elected?
But I could go for an icon for those special 0.1% of the very best hides out there. I could see myself (and others) planning long-distance trips for the sole purpose of nabbing a very special cache recognized as one of the best.
Jamie
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"The rechargeable, lithium-ion battery is said to last up to five hours."
OMG!
I think the author was't very familiar with GPS. $500 for a voice-prompted, handheld GPS is in line with the market. Add SD card slot, touch screen, and mp3 player... and it's in the range of some of the $1000+ units. I think they have a good thing here.
Doesn't look very sturdy though. May or not work for geocaching, depending on the software, and if you want to carry that thing in the woods anyway.
Not to mention I've never heard of this company.
Jamie
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The best bid wins the right to host it - no matter where in North America that may be.
Isn't this a worldwide event? What about a European host in the future. Would that be considered?
Jamie
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Tallyho,
As mentioned by Chuy, since you are a premium member, you can use a combination of Pocket Queries and GSAK (or the awful Magellan Waypoint Manager) to send limited cache data to your 500. As Chuy already said, the length of the hint is limited. In the case of the 500, it's 50 characters, which is enough for about 4/5 hints out there.
Jamie
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In a reverse note, you can charge your Razr phone on your PC if you get the right driver which sends those mystery signals to the phone telling it it's a Motorola charger.
I haven't used my real charger for months.
Jamie
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Bret,
Great lyrics. I'd heard that song before, but you made me pay attention.
Jamie
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He is opening a seperate e-mail account, so no adoptions/archiving. For now, anyway.
Does this mean the caches will be properly maintained, or does it mean that any logs posted to the cache will be lost forever in a junk email account never to be seen again?
Jamie
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Surely GPSbabel will do this.
I'm only a casual Babel user, and by no means knowledgeable about the program, other than it will pretty much convert anything to anything else.
I know for certain that it will convert a comma separated value file (which this appears to be) into both Topo 3D format as well as Explorist format.
My only concern is the format of the coordinates in your file. They appear to be in decimal minute format, but typically, files like this contain decimal degrees format. I'm not sure if Babel would choke on that. Only one way to find out.
Try GPSBabel and play with it. Maybe someone else in here can provide more specific information.
Jamie
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I doubt I can impove upon the last response, but I can add a little more info.
As Lep said, once past the short edit window, you'll get the edit line. If you edit yet again, you'll have two edit lines, and so on. You can, however, manually delete all but one of those edit lines during subsequent edits. You never need to have more than one edit line.
Jamie
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Suurnesu,
I'm not familiar at all with the San Antonio area, but I can offer a few suggestions.
Since you still have time, I recommend researching and purchasing a GPS online, now. Have it sent to a friend or your hotel in which you'll be staying while you're here.
GPSs are substantially cheaper through online retailers than at a store.
If you really want to buy a GPS in a store, again I'm not familiar with San Antonio, but give Walmart or Bass Pro Shops a try. There should be several of these stores in and around the city, but as I stated above, their prices are much higher than if you purchase online.
Jamie
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Nobody has mentioned that backgrounds aren't allowed.
Cache page submissions are stripped of a number of HTML tags, and the <BODY> tag, in which you'd put your background image, is one of them.
The compromise is that they have made it easy for you to put a background image behind the page. There's just no way to give the page itself a background.
Jamie
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Recently I hunted for a cache labeled as a traditional. As is often the case, I hunted this traditional cache with coordinates alone, without reading the cache page.
I got myself to the coordinates and began my search, but found nothing. 15 minutes of hunting not only didn't produce the cache, but I didn't even see anyplace in the general area where a regular size could be hidden.
I retrieved the cache page and gave it a read. Again, nothing out of the ordinary, and I searched for a little while more before deciding I clearly needed the hint. I figured my GPS was off, or I was missing something completely obvious.
The hint said something similar to: Follow the big trees south until you find a small bush. The cache is in the bush.
This was an offset cache. The "big trees" were a line of trees down a path, perhaps 100 feet or more to where there was a bush, and where I found the cache.
I read all the logs in the logbook, and all the logs online, and surprisingly, nobody mentions this weirdness. Am I the only person who notices this stuff?
Anyway, I haven't yet logged the cache, and I plan to mention in my log that the cache is listed as the wrong type, and that information necessary to find the cache is located in the hint. Should I post a Needs Maintenance log in addition to my find? Should I instead email the cache owner? How should I handle this (if at all, since apparently nobody else cares too much.)
Jamie
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You, the cache owner, reserve the right to validate finds. You did that.
The owner has more than a right, it's an obligation as listed in the guidelines.
The responsibility of your listing includes quality control of posts to the cache page. Delete any logs that appear to be bogus, counterfeit, off topic, or not within the stated requirements.Unfortunately, not many people adhere to this, and for those of us that do, sometimes get ridiculed as the cache police. More people should follow the guidelines.
Jamie
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From what I recall at the time virtual submissions were no longer allowed, current virtuals are allowed to remain as long as they meet the old guidelines (namely, the owner remains active). If the cache doesn't meet the guidelines, they will be archived. There is no longer an option to adopt virtuals.
Jamie
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Appletree,
Curious what you're using for an external antenna. The Quest has what I think is crappy reception. Crappy being a relative term. After using a coupld of Magellans and being used to their very good reception, I'm astounded at how easily the Quest loses lock. In mild tree cover, and even under the awning of a gas station I get the signal loss warning. This with the antenna in the open air of my motorcycle.
Is the external antenna better than the built-in antenna when both are out in the open?
I agree with Appletree that the voice prompts are very useful, although not everybody agrees. One friend I have exclaimed "Turn that annoying thing off!" after the first instruction when I demonstrated it for him. He's kinda a gadget geek, so I thought he'd get a kick out of it, but he said it was obnoxious. Another friend of mine who is totally non-technical said he found it quite useful and said he'd like to get one until I told him how much I paid.
I agree with Appletree that the Quest is small, light, and pocketable, but I still feel that it's only half as good as a standard hand-held GPS for geocaching. Perhaps I need more practice with it. I've just been unimpressed with the compass screen so far.
Jamie
, I remember finding two caches there a long time ago called Micro #1 and Micro #2. They're now both long gone.
Found It = Didn't Find It
in General geocaching topics
Posted · Edited by Jamie Z
D'oh is right.
Since I'm not too far away, I guess I ought to get retrieve the cache. Funny, I just learned that you can't post a "Needs Maintenance" on a cache that's archived.
Jamie